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Free DP-100 practice test: 30 questions with answers

30 original questions for Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure, drawn from every topic area. Answer each one to see whether you got it right and why. No sign-up.

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DP-100 exam guide: topics, cost and format

All 30 DP-100 questions with answers

The same questions as the test above, grouped by exam topic. Open any question to see the answer and explanation.

Optimize language models for AI applications (8 questions)

  1. Question 1

    What is the Azure AI Foundry model catalog used for?

    1. AStoring the training data for custom models so that it can be shared across the organisation
    2. BDiscovering, comparing and deploying foundation models from many providers in one place
    3. CRecording the billing rate of each subscription so that teams can see their monthly spend
    4. DHosting the workspace notebooks so that they run without any compute attached to them at all
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    The model catalog lets teams discover, compare and deploy foundation models from many providers. Training data storage, billing and notebook hosting are different functions.

  2. Question 2

    Why compare language models with benchmarks before choosing one for an application?

    1. ATo measure quality, cost and speed on tasks that resemble the application's own workload
    2. BTo choose the model with the most parameters, since size always determines the answer quality
    3. CTo find the model with the longest name, because the naming reflects the training data used
    4. DTo avoid running any test on the application's own data, which is always misleading for teams
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Benchmarks plus tests on representative tasks show quality, cost and speed trade-offs. Size, naming and avoiding own-data tests are poor selection methods.

  3. Question 3

    What is a prompt variant used for in prompt flow?

    1. AHiding the prompt from the evaluation team so that its wording stays private during reviews
    2. BStoring a second copy of the chat history that users can restore after logging out of the app
    3. CCreating a backup of the model weights before a fine-tuning job begins on the compute cluster
    4. DTesting alternative wording of a prompt against the same inputs so that the results can be compared
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    Prompt variants let a team test alternative wording against the same inputs and compare results. Chat history backups, weight backups and hidden prompts are unrelated.

  4. Question 4

    Why is chunking used when preparing documents for retrieval augmented generation?

    1. ASo that each piece is small enough to embed and retrieve precisely for a given question
    2. BSo that the documents can be printed on paper for a reviewer to read before indexing begins
    3. CSo that the file size of each document is reduced to zero before it is stored in the account
    4. DSo that the model is trained on each chunk separately as a new base model for the application
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Chunking produces pieces small enough to embed and retrieve precisely, which improves relevance. Printing, zero-size files and per-chunk model training do not describe chunking.

  5. Question 5

    What role does Azure AI Search play in a retrieval augmented generation solution?

    1. AIt trains the language model on the company's documents so that its weights hold the knowledge
    2. BIt stores and queries the indexed chunks and embeddings that retrieval uses to find context
    3. CIt hosts the chat interface that end users see when they open the application in a browser
    4. DIt replaces the language model with a rules engine that answers questions from a fixed table
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    Azure AI Search holds the index of chunks and embeddings and returns relevant context for a query. It does not train the model, host the interface or replace the model.

  6. Question 6

    What should fine-tuning data for a chat model look like?

    1. AImages of screenshots of conversations, which the job converts into text automatically before training
    2. BA single long document with no structure, which the training job splits into random pieces of text
    3. COnly the model's own answers from the previous version, with no human review of their quality
    4. DExamples of prompts and desired responses in the format the training job expects, reviewed for quality
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    Fine-tuning needs prompt and desired-response examples in the expected format, and reviewed quality matters. Unstructured text, unreviewed self-outputs and screenshots do not meet that need.

  7. Question 7

    Which measure helps evaluate whether a retrieval augmented generation answer is grounded in the retrieved context?

    1. AWord count of the answer, which shows how detailed the response is for the user reading it
    2. BGroundedness, which checks that the answer's claims are supported by the retrieved passages
    3. CCompute utilisation of the endpoint, which shows how busy the server was during the test run
    4. DThe number of users who opened the chat window, which shows how popular the application is
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    Groundedness checks whether claims are supported by retrieved passages. Word counts, utilisation and popularity do not measure grounding.

  8. Question 8

    Which TWO are valid reasons to choose retrieval augmented generation instead of fine-tuning for company knowledge? (Choose two.)

    1. AThe company's content changes often, and the index can be refreshed without retraining the model
    2. BAnswers can cite the source passages that were retrieved for each question that is asked
    3. CRetrieval permanently teaches the model the company's writing style through changes in its weights
    4. DRAG removes the need for access control on the documents that the index contains
    5. ERAG never needs evaluation, because retrieved passages are always correct by definition
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Frequently changing content can be re-indexed without retraining, and retrieval supports citation. RAG does not teach style through weights, remove access control, or avoid evaluation.

Train and deploy models (8 questions)

  1. Question 9

    How does a training job consume data that is registered as a data asset?

    1. AThe job reads the data from the data scientist's personal laptop each time the run starts in the cloud
    2. BThe job copies the data into the source code folder before the run, so that it is versioned with Git
    3. CThe job references the data asset as an input, and the platform mounts or downloads it at run time
    4. DThe job requires the data to be pasted into the job YAML as a long string of values for each run
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    Jobs reference data assets as inputs, and the platform mounts or downloads them at run time. Copying data into code folders, reading laptops and embedding values in YAML are poor practice.

  2. Question 10

    What is the purpose of a component in an Azure Machine Learning pipeline?

    1. AA storage container that holds the final trained model and its signature ready for deployment
    2. BA workspace setting that controls how many users can sign in to the studio at the same time
    3. CA monitoring dashboard that displays the number of pipeline runs across the whole month for review
    4. DA reusable unit of work with defined inputs and outputs that a pipeline step runs
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    A component is a reusable step with defined inputs and outputs. Workspace settings, dashboards and model storage are different features.

  3. Question 11

    What does the signature in an MLmodel file describe?

    1. AThe price per hour of the endpoint that the model is deployed to within the subscription
    2. BThe name of the person who approved the model for production use in the registry for the team
    3. CThe input and output schema of the model, so that callers and deployments know the expected format
    4. DThe exact hardware of the compute instance where the model was originally trained by the team
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    The signature defines the input and output schema, which callers and deployments rely on. Approvals, endpoint prices and training hardware are not part of the signature.

  4. Question 12

    How can a team roll out a new model version to a managed online endpoint with low risk?

    1. ADeploy the new version to the same endpoint and shift a small share of traffic to it gradually
    2. BDelete the old endpoint first and then deploy the new version so that only one version exists
    3. CRoute all traffic to the new version on day one and keep the old version only in a backup folder
    4. DTurn off authentication on the endpoint during the rollout so that testers can call it freely
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    A blue-green style rollout deploys alongside the current version and shifts traffic gradually, which limits the impact of a fault. Deleting first, switching all traffic at once and disabling authentication each raise risk.

  5. Question 13

    When is a batch endpoint the appropriate choice for deploying a model?

    1. AWhen large volumes of data are scored on a schedule and results do not need to return immediately
    2. BWhen each user request must return a prediction in under 100 milliseconds inside an interactive app
    3. CWhen the model must run only on a developer's laptop because no shared compute is available to use
    4. DWhen the model is trained once and never used for scoring after the training run has finished
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Batch endpoints score large volumes asynchronously, which suits scheduled workloads. Low-latency interactive requests need online endpoints, and the other options do not describe a scoring need.

  6. Question 14

    What is a common first step when a pipeline run fails in Azure Machine Learning?

    1. ATurn off monitoring for the pipeline so that failed runs no longer appear in the studio's views
    2. BDelete the whole workspace and create a new one before any investigation has been done at all
    3. COpen the failed step's logs in the studio to find the error and the step that caused it
    4. DIncrease the size of the storage account so that the logs have room to be written again
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    The failed step's logs show the error and where it occurred, which is the right starting point. Deleting the workspace, hiding failures and resizing storage do not diagnose the failure.

  7. Question 15

    Which TWO are true about training job logs in Azure Machine Learning? (Choose two.)

    1. AJob logs help troubleshoot errors that occur during a run
    2. BThe logs show the output of the script and the messages from environment setup
    3. CLogs are deleted as soon as the job completes, so they cannot be checked afterwards
    4. DLogs contain the final model weights in plain text that can be copied to other systems
    5. ELogs are visible only to subscription owners and are hidden from the data scientists
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Job logs show script output and environment messages, which support troubleshooting. Logs are retained for review, they do not contain model weights, and they are not hidden from the team.

  8. Question 16

    Which TWO are recommended when deploying a model to a managed online endpoint? (Choose two.)

    1. ATesting the deployment with sample requests before shifting production traffic to it
    2. BAuthenticating callers with keys or Entra identity instead of leaving the endpoint open
    3. CLeaving the test traffic at 100 percent on the new version without any checks before go-live
    4. DPlacing the model file in a public container so that the endpoint can load it faster at start
    5. EScaling the endpoint to zero instances at all times so that it is always free to run
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Testing before traffic shift and authenticating callers are standard safe practices. Full traffic without checks, public model files and permanent zero scale each create a risk or a non-working endpoint.

Design and prepare a machine learning solution (7 questions)

  1. Question 17

    Which Azure Machine Learning compute type suits an interactive development environment used by one data scientist for notebooks?

    1. AA compute cluster, which autoscales a set of nodes for batch training jobs run by a pipeline
    2. BA compute instance, which is a managed development workstation for one user
    3. CAn inference cluster, which hosts real-time endpoints that score requests from applications
    4. DAn attached virtual machine that the team maintains by hand with its own software updates
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    A compute instance is a managed development workstation for an individual user. Clusters, inference clusters and hand-maintained virtual machines serve other purposes.

  2. Question 18

    What is the purpose of a datastore in an Azure Machine Learning workspace?

    1. AIt holds the trained model artefacts together with their signatures and their evaluation metrics
    2. BIt holds a connection to a storage service, such as Blob storage, that jobs can use to access data
    3. CIt holds the compute logs for each job run in the workspace for the duration of the project
    4. DIt holds a copy of every notebook in the workspace so that teammates can restore older versions
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    A datastore is a connection to a storage service that jobs use to reach data. Model artefacts, logs and notebook copies are stored in other places.

  3. Question 19

    Which data asset type references a folder of files, such as images, for use in training?

    1. AA uri_folder data asset, which references a folder of files in a storage location
    2. BA uri_file data asset, which references one single file in a storage location for a job
    3. CAn mltable asset, which describes tabular data by means of a file-based specification
    4. DAn environment asset, which defines the Python packages and the Docker image that a job uses
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    A uri_folder asset references a folder, which suits collections of images or files. uri_file references a single file, mltable describes tables, and environments define the software.

  4. Question 20

    Why would a team create a custom environment rather than use a curated one?

    1. ATo remove the need for any compute target when a scheduled pipeline runs the job for the team
    2. BTo install specific packages or a custom Docker image that the job needs and that the curated set lacks
    3. CTo stop the job from writing any logs, so that the training data stays out of the run history
    4. DTo share one environment across every subscription without registering it in the workspace first
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    A custom environment is needed when the job requires packages or an image that the curated environments do not provide. Removing compute targets, disabling logs and skipping registration are not reasons to build one.

  5. Question 21

    What is an Azure Machine Learning registry used for?

    1. ARecording the user accounts that are allowed to sign in to the workspace and their roles
    2. BStoring the workspace compute logs for the duration of each job run for later audit reviews
    3. CSharing assets such as models, environments and components across multiple workspaces
    4. DHolding the Git credentials that the workspace uses to pull notebooks from source control daily
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    A registry shares assets such as models, environments and components across workspaces. Logs, account lists and Git credentials are workspace or identity concerns.

  6. Question 22

    Which TWO are benefits of Git integration for an Azure Machine Learning project? (Choose two.)

    1. ACode changes are tracked and can be reviewed before they are merged into the main branch
    2. BThe team can roll back to an earlier version of a script when a change breaks a run
    3. CThe workspace stores its trained models directly inside the Git repository as a backup copy
    4. DGit removes the need for any compute target, because all jobs run inside the repository itself
    5. EData is committed to the repository automatically each time a job finishes its run
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Git gives change tracking, review and rollback for scripts. Storing models in Git, removing compute and committing data automatically are not benefits of the integration.

  7. Question 23

    Which step should come first when selecting a development approach for a new training workload?

    1. ABuy the largest GPU cluster the budget allows before the data has been examined by anyone
    2. BIdentify the structure and format of the dataset, then choose a tool and compute that match it
    3. CWrite the deployment pipeline before any data has been loaded or inspected by the team
    4. DChoose the model name and version first, and only then look at what the data contains
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    Understanding the dataset's structure and format guides the tools and compute needed. Buying hardware, deploying first and naming the model before looking at data reverse the sensible order.

Explore data, and run experiments (7 questions)

  1. Question 24

    Which automated ML task type predicts a continuous numeric value from tabular data?

    1. ARegression, which predicts a continuous numeric value from the features of each row
    2. BClassification, which assigns each row to one of a fixed set of discrete labels for prediction
    3. CImage segmentation, which labels each pixel of an image with a class from a fixed set of classes
    4. DClustering, which groups unlabelled rows by similarity and has no target value to predict at all
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Regression predicts continuous values from tabular features. Classification predicts discrete labels, segmentation works on images and clustering has no target.

  2. Question 25

    What does the Responsible AI dashboard in Azure Machine Learning help a team do?

    1. AReplace the data labelling process with a fully automated approach that needs no human review
    2. BMeasure how many GPUs the training job used over a month for the cost reports sent to finance
    3. CCreate a new workspace in a second region as a disaster recovery copy of the model endpoints
    4. DAssess a model's fairness, error patterns and explanations before deciding whether to deploy it
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    The Responsible AI dashboard helps assess fairness, error patterns and explanations before deployment. The other options describe cost reporting, disaster recovery and labelling tasks it does not cover.

  3. Question 26

    Which hyperparameter sampling method tries every combination of the discrete values in the search space?

    1. ABayesian sampling, which uses the results of previous trials to choose the next values to try
    2. BRandom sampling, which picks values at random from the search space for each trial that runs
    3. CGrid sampling, which tries every combination of the discrete values in the search space
    4. DEarly sampling, which stops the sweep as soon as the first trial in the search space has finished
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    Grid sampling exhaustively tries every combination of discrete values. Random and Bayesian sampling choose values differently, and early sampling is not a sweep method.

  4. Question 27

    Which early termination policy stops a run whose primary metric falls outside a slack factor of the best run so far?

    1. AManual stopping policy, which waits for a person to stop each run after reviewing its logs
    2. BMedian stopping policy, which keeps runs whose running averages stay above the median of other runs
    3. CRandom stopping policy, which stops a random half of the runs at each evaluation interval for speed
    4. DBandit policy, which stops runs that fall outside a slack factor or slack amount of the best run
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    The Bandit policy uses a slack factor or slack amount relative to the best run. Median stopping uses medians, while random and manual stopping do not compare against the best run.

  5. Question 28

    What does MLflow tracking record for an Azure Machine Learning job?

    1. AOnly the compute cost of each run, so that monthly budget reports can be produced from it
    2. BOnly the final model file, with no parameters or metrics kept for later comparison of runs
    3. CParameters, metrics and artefacts for each run, so that runs can be compared later
    4. DOnly the names of the data scientists who started each run and the time of day it began
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    MLflow tracking records parameters, metrics and artefacts for each run so that runs can be compared. Keeping only the model, only costs or only names misses that comparison data.

  6. Question 29

    Which TWO are appropriate uses of automated ML? (Choose two.)

    1. AFinding a strong baseline model quickly for a tabular regression problem
    2. BComparing preprocessing and algorithm options across many candidate runs automatically
    3. CReplacing all responsible AI reviews, because automated ML checks fairness on its own
    4. DWriting the production inference code without any review from the engineering team
    5. ELabelling a training dataset that has never been labelled by a person before
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Automated ML is useful for quickly finding baselines and comparing preprocessing and algorithm choices. It does not replace responsible AI review, engineering review or the labelling of data.

  7. Question 30

    Which automated ML option applies to a natural language processing task on text data?

    1. ATime series forecasting, which is the only supported task type for every text dataset in the studio
    2. BImage classification, which is the only supported task type for every kind of text data at all
    3. CText classification or named entity recognition, which are supported NLP task types in automated ML
    4. DAnomaly detection on sensor streams, which requires that the text be converted to images first
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    Automated ML supports NLP task types such as text classification and named entity recognition. Image classification, forecasting and sensor anomaly detection do not apply to plain text in that way.